Loading mechanism for guns.



Nmlas'sl.)

-,- pr. P. Mms & R. P. Smm.,

LoADING MEGHANISM PoErfsUNs.

PLI TIoN FILED 17H1: 1ar mma. Y Apr, GA 3 sHsTs-snEnT-1.

ATBNTBD AUG. 11, 190s.-

ugr.

PATENTED. AUG. 11 UT.` GUNS.

J.' F. MBIGs L R. ESTO LOADING MECHANISM FOR A YAPPLIC'ATION PILUD'JUM: 1a. 1904.

Hdl-895,481.'

RATION PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it ma y concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN F. Meios and ROBERT P. SToL'r, citizens of the Unit-ed States, and residents of South Bethlehem, Northampton county, State of Pennsylvania., haveinvented cert-ain new and useful Inilgirovenients -in Loading Mechanism for Guns, of which the following is specification.

The present invention relates to loading mechanism for guns and more especially to device for loading heavy projectiles into bi'eecli loading guns.

The o ject of the invention is to provide a support for the projectile as it asses through the breech lock cavity to protect the threads or other locking devices of 'the breech block. land any other mechanism pertaining thereto.

In carrying out the invention we provide a tray on the ammunition car or hoist which is adapted to be moved laterally from the car into the breech block cavity and to constitute a bridge or support to carry the projectile through said cavity.

The invent-ion will be described in detail in connection with the accom ianv ff drawinfr in which,

showing a rear view of an ammunition car with the loading tray part-ly projected therefrom and a section of a gun into which a projectile is being transferred from the car; F ig.' 2 is an end view of the lower shelf of the ear looking in the direction of the arrow 2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3i` aplan view of the loadingr tray; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively sections on the lines4, 5 and 6 of Fig. 3; Figs. T. S and 9 are respectively sections on the lines T, S and 9 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a sect-ion on the line 10 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, indicates an ammunition car, which, in the presentinstance, isa hoisting ca r having trucks 21 running on vertical or upright rails 22. The car is provided with several shelves or holders for the sections of a charge for the gun, the lower shelf 23 being preferably arranged to receive and transport. the projectile 24.

In the shelf 23 is a runway 25 in which is supported the loading tray A- The tray A comprises a cradle 2G supported by a series of rollers 27 which run on ribs or rails 2S of the Specification of Letters Patent. Application led June 18,1904. Serial No. 213,165.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section,

,The car is preferably provided LOADING MECHANI'SM Fon GUNS.

Patented Apg. 1 1, laos.

naled in bearings in the lower side of the cradle.

posit-ion, as shown in Figs 3, 4 and 5, by suitentrain sfra'rnsf rarnnrornion.

` l i u k l l 4 a JOHN F. )[EIGS AXD ROBERT P. STOL OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS i] TO BETHL-EHEM STEEL COMPAXY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A `CORPO-if:

The vtray is normally held in a retracted able springs 29, there being one on each side y of the tray, and the ends of the springs being connected res iectively to the tray and the runway or other fixed part of the car. A ratchet 30 and retaining pawl 31 are provided for holding the tray in a projected position when it is moved forward on the runway, the ratchet, as shown, being connected with the tray and the retaining pawl 31 pivoted to the runway. A suitable connection 32'is' provided for tripping the pawl to release the tray and permit the .springs to return it to normal position.

A tongue- 33 centrally and longitudinally arranged in the bed of the tray is pivote-d to the lcradle at 34. 'lhe forward end of the tongue is connected by pivots 35 to the intermediate partvof a supplemental tongue 36. Asshown the tongue 36 is Ueshaped, being provided with legs on opposite sides of the tongue 33, and on the rear ends of the legs are ivot pins 37 which engage slots 38 in the cra( le 26.

A bolt 39 which slides laterally in a groove in the bottom of the runway 25 cooperates with a projection 40 on the bottom of the tongue 33 to raise the tongue slightly as shown in Fig. 4. Then the bolt 39 is withdrawn by means of a suitable connection 41 the tongue 33 drops to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which its upper surface is substantiallv Hush with the upper surface of the tray or s ightly lower. When the bolt `is under the tongue the latter is raised as shown in Fig. 4 and thc supplemental tongue 36- is thrown up at a more acute angle as also shown in Fig. 4. It will be understood that when the tongue is dropped the supplemental tongue also dro s .to a substantiallyhorizoiital position ush with the upper surface of the tray. The forward end of the bolt 39 is beveled as shown in Fig. 11 thus providing an incline or wedge which raises the tongue when the bolt is inserted beneath it.

In the drawing, 42 indicates gun and 43 the breech block cavity thereof. with a guard 44 pivoted at 45 and adapted to be moved in front of the projectileafter the `latter is,

a port-ion of a.

loaded on the car to prevent it from being ac- 1 ing the tray cidentally dislodged. The guard may be thrown out of the path ofthe projectile bya is loaded on the car while the tray is in its retracted position, asfshown in Fig. 3, the

tongue being preferably dropped'into itsY lower position, as shown in Fig. 1. Y If the projectile is loaded on the c'ar from t-he left in Fig. 1 it will be immaterial whether the tongue is raised orlowered at the time of loading. Before operating the rammer to move the project-ile from thegcar into the gun the tongue 33, 36 is raised and supported on the slide 39. On operating the rammer the projectile will be moved forward and will carry the tray with it by reasonof engaging with the raised tongue. The tray will2 be carried forward into the gun until the proj ection 40 is carried beyond the end of the runway 25, when the pressure on the tongue 36 will press tongues 33 and 36 down, al owing the projectile to pass over the top of them into the gun chamber. The tray will be retained temporarily in this position by ratchet pawl 31. To protect the tray it is preferably covered .with a sheet 47 of steel or other suitable material, which may be extended over the edge of the runway, as shown in the drawings, to protect the roller bearings and springs from dirt. After the projectile and po vder have been thrust into the gun the pawl 31 is withdrawn and the tray drawn ack by the springs to its normal position in the car.

It will be evident thatvarious chauves in the mechanical details of our improvedmloading apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The two-part tongue described is a means for temporarily preserving the relative position of the tray-and projectile, and other movable devices might be substituted. The roller bearings of the tray might be substituted by runners or slides adapted to move on l-ubricated surfaces. lVe have, however, illustrated the invention in the best form at present known to us.

'ithout limiting ourselves to the particular construction and arrangement illustrated and described, we claim,

1. In loading mechanism for guns, the

combination with a runway, of a tray slidabl f supported on the runway and adapted to move to and from a gun, means for looking the tray in operative relation with the gun, and a spring for automatically returnto norm-al position when unlocked. i

2. In loading mechanism for guns, the combination with the runway, of atray movable lolgitudinally of the runway and adapted to support a projectile, a ratchet on the tray, a pawl connected with the runway for cooperating with the ratchet, and

springs connecting the tray with 'the runway, for the purpose set fort-h.

3. In a loading mechanism for guns, the combination with an ammunition car, of a runway on said car, a tray slidably supported on the runway and adapted to hold a projectile, a tongue pivotallj connected with the tray and having its free end at the forward end of said tray, the tongue being arranged in the path of the projectile and adapted to be engaged by the projectile when the latter is moved forward whereby .the tongue serves t0 draw the tray into the breech of the gun, manually operated means for raising and lowering the said tongue at will, and means for automatically lowering the tongue as it enters thevgun and raising the tongue as it is retracted from the gun.

4. In loading mechanism for guus, the combination with an ammunition tray, of a tongue movable up and down relative to said tray, and a supplemental tongue movably connected tothe free end of said tongue and to t-he trav, for the purpose set forth. A

5. In loading -meohanism for guns, the

combination with the tray, of a tongue 33 pivoted thereto, and the transverselymovable slide 39 adapted to raise and sustain said tongue.

6. In loading mechanism for guns, the

combination with an ammunition car or support, of a tray movably mounted on said ear, rollers sup orting said tray, and springs for normally lriolding the tray in its rearmost osition.

7. n loading mechanism for guns, the combination of an ammunition car or support, a runway on said car, a tray provided` with rollers supported on said runway,

4springs for holding the tray in normal position, and means for causing the tray to travel with the projectile into 'the brocoli block cavity of the gun.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this Aspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN F. MEIGS.

ROBERT P. ST OUT. Vitnees: '1 EDWIN A;i\I1LLER, EARL G. RUSH.

ilo 

